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Politics & Society

Photo credit: re:publica/Gregor Fischer

Reflections on the change of societies and political dynamics due to digitization are at the core of the re:publica programme. We are interested in shifting power balances, in societal change and civic digital action. At re:publica we want to talk about what we need to do for a free and open Internet and its relation to the shifting political paradigms on the continent. We want to explore the intersections of technology with politics and society.

In this track we will discuss surveillance technologies, data and privacy protection, e-privacy, Internet shutdowns and net neutrality. We will look at community networks, the effects of AI on society, digital disobedience, as well as new governance models aided by digital technologies.

We invite activists, civil society representatives, researchers and all persons with experience in these topics to help us examine the interplay of technology and society on a philosophical level as well as on the day-to-day basis. We’ll explore the opportunities of civic tech and debate the state of Internet freedom - based on your contributions. Questions we would like to see tackled e.g. include: How do social media platforms influence the shaping of political opinions? How are movements and communities for Internet freedom, digital democracy and open data developing? What social and legislative processes should be initiated to regulate an ever accelerating automation? Can the blockchain deliver on its promise of revolutionizing governance processes?

We are inviting you to a “Collaborators Meeting” as we explore the opportunity of hosting re:publica in Africa for the first time. re:publica is Europe’s biggest festival on digital society and one of the world’s most exceptional festivals on digital culture with 9,000 participants coming from all areas of society. Participants include representatives from science, tech, politics, business, hacker culture, NGOs, media and marketing, as well as bloggers, activists and artists. This will be the first time it will happen outside of Europe.

Is Europe a cucumber? And if so, what kind of cucumber do we want it to be? There is a great number of activists, initiatives, organizations and people who dare to rethink the system. They are already working in a progressive field of building & exploring (new) forms for a future society and participation processes – digital just as much as analogue. But what are they all up to? Let's pop out ideas and explore the diversity of planned actions for the European Election 2019!

This POPing format welcomes everyone who wants to explore the world of cucumbers, politics & its innovative forms, and gives an insight into what is happening for the and could be done in #Europe

A non-conventional city government, rolling out an avant garde plan in the last seven years, invites you to a refreshing journey of creativity, innovation and sun. A dynamic innovation ecosystem is under way in the city, as an emerging group of inspired, globally-focused and highly educated entrepreneurs offer unprecedented investment opportunities in software, energy, engineering, agrotech, digital health, security and they help the country on the path to recovery.

Digital technologies play an ever bigger role in economic and social development around the globe. However, in an ever more connected and digitalized world, development organizations and NGOs need to make sure that the use of technology and data is led by responsibility and accountability, in line with standards such as the Principles for Digital Development.

Many online movements have emerged over the course of the last decade. Except for Podemos in Spain and the Pirate Party in Iceland none of them were able to survive past a phase of initial mobilization. But does that mean that online organizing simply does not translate into permanent political success and subsequent societal change? The election campaigns of Dean Howard, Barack Obama, and Bernie Sanders and their reliance on online methods speak another language - and so does the online campaign of Donald Trump. How could these lessons be transferred to Europe? And what role does face-to-face interaction still play, if any?